Impact of concurrent antimicrobial therapy on catheter-associated urinary tract infection

Results of a survey in two Dutch district hospitals which investigated the impact of concurrent administration of antibiotics on the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (UTI), showed that 61% of catheterized patients received antibiotics at some stage during bladder drainage. The use of antibiotics within 48 hours prior to catheter removal reduced the risk of bacteriuria fivefold. Multivariate analysis of patients who were catheterized for 3-14 days indicated that, apart from the duration of catheter employment, the use of antibiotics was the only variable significantly and independently associated with the development of bacteriuria. The power of this association varied inversely with increasing duration of catheterization but remained significant throughout the 3-14-day interval. Patients with bacteriuria at the time of catheter removal were more likely to have a febrile illness compared to those who remained free of catheter-associated UTI.